Brasilia, Brasil
Brazil’s Minister of Education, Renato Janine Ribeiro, heard about the success of a unique educational collaboration between the Denver-based nonprofit, US-Brazil Connect, and Brazil’s SESI/SEAI technical schools, which helps Brazilian students practice English and learn leadership skill. So he decided to visit the program this month in Brasilia.
“I came here to learn,” Mr. Ribeiro told the group of about 150 Brazilian students and US-Brazil Connect Fellows who create and learn together in the Conexão Mundo Program. “On the part of the Brazilian government, we have an interest in learning from successful experiences so we can see what can be incorporated in Brazilian education at a large scale.”
He stressed the importance of learning another language as a way to connect with new cultures and gain essential skills for opportunity in a global economy. He also spoke about educational innovation and the role of national leadership in Brazil to expand successful programs so more students can benefit.
Mr. Ribeiro was accompanied by Gilberto Carvalho, Board President of SESI; Sergio Moreira, Deputy Education Director from Brazil’s National Confederation of Industry; and Mary Gershwin, President of US-Brazil Connect. Representing the U.S. Embassy in Brazil was Brian Bayer, Cultural Attaché from the Public and Cultural Affairs Division.
“An educational exchange to Brazil changed my life years ago, and our work today is based on a simple reality. Authentic connections of Brazilian and U.S. students produce much more than improved language skills--real connections change lives, build lifelong opportunities, and can transform the planet,” said Mary Gershwin, US-Brazil Connect President. She welcomes the possibility of expanding the proven Conexão Mundo model of collaboration and learning with public schools of Brazil.
The US-Brazil Connect Fellowship Team from Kirkwood Community College in Iowa and more than 100 students from the Taguatinga and Gama SESI/SENAI schools participated in the meeting with the Education Minister in person. Meanwhile, US-Brazil Connect team members and Brazilian students from four other Brazilian states --Bahia, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina -- joined via Google Hangout.
During his visit, Mr. Ribeiro explored the design of the partnership that is garnering attention throughout Brazil. In 2012, US-Brazil Connect joined forces with Brazil’s National Confederation of Industry and its SESI and SENAI educational systems to create Conexão Mundo. Since then, more than 500 US-Brazil Connect fellows and leaders from around the U.S. have traveled to Brazil to work with more than 5,000 high school and technical school students. This year, US-Brazil Connect teams went to 32 Brazilian cities. Conexão Mundo strengthens language fluency, builds global leadership skills, and forges deep connections between citizens of the two nations.
The program begins in the US with selection of 200 US-Brazil Connect Fellows and Team Leaders. These participants are divided into smaller groups and placed on teams—usually around five fellows and two leaders per team. After about 4 weeks of distance-based training and preparation, the US teams are assigned to service in a Brazilian school and each American is introduced to their group of 12 Brazilian high school students. The Brazilian students are in SESI and SENAI high schools in Brazil, speak Portuguese as their primary language, but have studied English in school.
Next, the shared work begins. In the first phase of working together, interaction is via Facebook and Google hangouts as Brazilians and Americans spend 8 weeks working through a structured curriculum.
After this distance-based phase, the US teams travel to their designated cities in Brazil where they meet their Brazilian students face to face and work together in an immersion experience that participants from both sides describe as “life-changing”. The US teams return to home and implement another distance phase with the structured curriculum for another six weeks. Finally, the top Brazilian participants are selected for a study trip to the U.S. The program ends after five months, but the connections and learning continue for years afterwards.
Brittany Moschke, Kirkwood Community College Fellow from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, commented about the program during the visit of Mr. Ribeiro, “Conexão Mundo has been a life-changing experience for me and everyone on my team. US-Brazil Connect has given us an amazing opportunity to grow and become more well-rounded. It is humbling knowing that Brazil’s Minister of Education visited the school where I am coaching to hear about this awesome program from us and some of the students.”
Scott Gacon, coordinator for the US-Brazil Connect leadership team in Distrito Federal, noted, “This visit was particularly special because the Brazilian students created and led the majority of the presentations. Working with coaches from Kirkwood Community College, they presented on each phase of the Conexão Mundo program and shared two assembly skits with the guests. Overall, it was a great day for Conexão Mundo and the educational partnership between the United States and Brazil, as illustrated by US-Brazil Connect, SESI/SENAI and the CNI.”
Gershwin said, “We are honored by the Minister’s visit and look forward to continuing our work together with CNI to connect with and inspire Brazilian youth as they learn English, chase their hopes and dreams and prepare for careers in the global marketplace.”
US-Brazil Connect is a non-profit in Denver, CO working to strengthen education and build economic opportunities by connecting communities, engaging leaders and creating transformative learning experiences in the United States and Brazil.
The Brazilian Confederation of Industry (CNI) is the voice of Brazilian Industry, a highly active organization with a mission to defend and represent Brazil’s production class. The public-private partnership represents over a thousand associated employers unions, almost 100,000 industrial establishments and 27 state-level industry federations.
Conexão Mundo is a partnership of US-Brazil Connect, the Brazilian Confederation of Industry (CNI), the National Apprenticeship Service of Brazil (SENAI) and the Social Service for Industry of Brazil (SESI). Since 2012, the program has helped over 5000 Brazilian technical students and US college students/young professionals develop global leadership and cross-cultural skills required for success in the global economy.
The Brazilian Confederation of Industry (CNI) is the voice of Brazilian Industry, a highly active organization with a mission to defend and represent Brazil’s production class. The public-private partnership represents over a thousand associated employers unions, almost 100,000 industrial establishments and 27 state-level industry federations.
Conexão Mundo is a partnership of US-Brazil Connect, the Brazilian Confederation of Industry (CNI), the National Apprenticeship Service of Brazil (SENAI) and the Social Service for Industry of Brazil (SESI). Since 2012, the program has helped over 5000 Brazilian technical students and US college students/young professionals develop global leadership and cross-cultural skills required for success in the global economy.
